On the play, the Giants sent linebacker Jacquian Williams on a blitz from the right-side, where he came through untouched into the Tampa Bay backfield.

With Williams blitzing, safety Antrel Rolle was tasked with the assignment of covering running back D.J. Ware, who runs a flat route to Freeman's left.

With Rolle in man-coverage out in the flat, Giants cornerback Michael Coe is left one-on-one with Jackson, who ran a fade route to the front pylon, hauling in the Freeman pass at the 4-yard line before being dragged down just inside the end zone.

Even with the blitzing Williams baring down on him untouched, Freeman delivered a perfectly-timed pass to Jackson, who was able to get past Coe at the line of scrimmage with relative ease.

Image courtesy of FoxSports

For whatever reason, Coe did not press Jackson at the line, which allowed the much bigger receiver to streak by on his way to a quick touchdown catch.

Image courtesy of FoxSports

Doug Martin 8-yard touchdown run

On 2nd-and-5 from the Giants' 8-yard line, Tampa Bay rookie running back Doug Martin takes a hand off and initially attempts to take the ball up the middle, but quickly spins and bounces outside to the left of the defense.

Image courtesy of FoxSports

After breaking away to the outside, Martin runs untouched into the end zone for the first professional score of his young career.

Receiver Vincent Jackson was flanked to the left side, where he was drawing double-coverage. Both the cornerback and the safety covering Jackson follow him as he runs a slant route into the end zone.

As a result, both run themselves away from the path of Martin, who again, found no resistance once he spun outside and away from the Giants' defense.

Image courtesy of FoxSports

Eli Manning to Hakeem Nicks for a 23-yard touchdown pass

Down 17-6 and badly needing a score with the first-half winding down, quarterback Eli Manning found receiver Hakeem Nicks on a go route for a 23-yard touchdown, capping a 10-play, 80-yard drive.

Safety Ronde Barber came on a blitz, leaving cornerback AqibTalib alone against Nicks to the left side of the defense. At the line, Nicks fakes to his right and is able to get Talib to bite on it, thus allowing the speedy Nicks to run past him unblocked.

Manning, initially looking to his left, finds Nicks streaking towards the end zone and hits him in stride with the pass. Because Manning was looking to his left, he was able to hold safety Mark Barron away from Nicks, which again, allowed for the touchdown to occur.

Image courtesy of FoxSports

Eric Wright's 60-yard interception return for a touchdown

With the Giants threatening with another scoring drive before the end of the half, cornerback Eric Wright blitzes from the slot, but stops halfway to Eli and, mid-jump, intercepts a Manning pass intended for Victor Cruz.

After dancing around a handful of would-be tacklers, Wright races his way 60-yards for a touchdown.

It is the third interception of Manning of the half, and the Bucs were able to generate 21 points as a result of the three turnovers they created.

The Bucs went into halftime leading 24-13.

Eli Manning to Victor Cruz for an 80-yard touchdown pass

With the Bucs leading 27-19 with just under seven minutes remaining in the game, cornerback Eric Wright attempts to blitz Manning from the slot. With Wright blitzing, safety Ronde Barber is tasked with covering slot receiver Victor Cruz.

With the offensive line of New York protecting Manning on all fronts, Eli is able to step up in the pocket and connect with a wide-open Cruz, whose double-move on Barber allowed the speedy receiver to get by with minimal resistance.

Once Cruz has hauled in the catch, he races pass safety Mark Barron on his way to an 80-yard score.

Image courtesy of FoxSports

After a successful two-point conversion, the Giants tied the game up at 27 apiece.

Eli Manning to Martellus Bennett for a 33-yard touchdown pass

Tight end Martellus Bennett is in the slot, lined up next to receiver Ramses Barden on the outside. At the snap, Barden runs a slant route in front of cornerback Brandon McDonald, who then switches to cover Bennett, who is running a wheel route towards the pylon.

Because Manning is afforded ample time in the pocket, he is able to make his passing progressions, where he notices the much-taller Bennett paired against McDonald. With Barden running a slant route towards the middle of the defense, safety Mark Barron is held in place, rather than offering over-the-top coverage for McDonald on the sideline.

Bennett is able to make the grab over McDonald near the goal line, before falling into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown.

Image courtesy of FoxSports

The score put the Giants ahead 34-27 with just over four minutes remaining in the game.

Josh Freeman to Mike Williams for a 41-yard touchdown pass

With the Bucs trailing by a touchdown, they look for a quick score to even things up. On the play, receiver Mike Williams is lined up across from cornerback Justin Tryon. At the snap, Williams runs a simple go route, with Tryon staying step-for-step with him down the field.

However, the Giants are unable to generate a pass rush, leaving Freeman with a clear, uninterrupted passing window to work with. Freeman is able to step up in the pocket and attempt a long pass attempt towards the end zone.

Williams is able to out-jump Tryon for the ball, then while attempting to bring it in to his body, temporarily uses Tryon's helmet to secure the pass, before landing on both feet inside the end zone for a touchdown reception.

Image courtesy of FoxSports

The score tied the game at 34-34, with just under two minutes left in regulation.

On the ensuing drive, the Giants are able to work their way down the length of the field, finally punching it for a touchdown with 34 seconds remaining.

With a timeout and 25 seconds to use, Freeman completes a 19-yard pass to Vincent Jackson, who is able to get out of bounds and stop the clock.

Freeman appears to connect with Mike Williams along the sideline on the next play, but after the play is reviewed, it is ruled that Williams did not fully possess the ball before dropping it on his way out of bounds.

On the very next play, Freeman is flushed out of the pocket to his right and attempts to find tight end Dallas Clark over the middle, but his pass sails high and into the arms of linebacker Michael Boley.

In 2010, Freeman took off 68 times for 364 yards. The big guy averaged more than five yards a carry (5.4) and broke a long one for 33 yards.

In 2011, he took off 55 times for 238 yards, averaged better than four yards a carry (4.3) and his longest scamper went for 25 yards.

This year, it started in the preseason. Freeman often had a wide-open fieldâ"10 yards would have been a cinchâ"but he chose to stay in the pocket. No big deal, you don't want your quarterback getting whacked when it doesn't count.

Now that the Bucs are two games into the regular season, Freeman has done virtually nothing with his legs. And that's puzzling. He showed up for camp 20 pounds lighter and everyone figured that would make him more dangerous and more mobile if he chose to dash from the pocket.

Why isn't Freeman running the football?

Why isn't Freeman running the football?

A: They don't want him to.

B: He's forgotten how.

C: They want Doug Martin to run.

D: Only Sullivan knows.

Total votes: 5

Through two games, he has 13 rushing yards, seven carries, and considering that he did have a 12-yard run in there, those other six carries have netted one yard. That's pretty un-Freeman-like when you look at past performances.

As bad as that is, Freeman's still out-working LeGarrette Blount, who has three carries for eight yards this season. Which begs the question: What Up With That?

The opportunities have been there for the third-year QB. There were at least a half-dozen opportunities in these first two games for him to pick up first downs or really good, easy yardage with a quick scramble.

Could it be that offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan wants to go totally "Eli Manning" on us and turn Freeman into a pocket statue? That's fine if it's Eli, but this is Big Josh, by gosh.

Is head coach Greg Schiano totally fearful of what might happen to the offense if Freeman gets injured?

Whatever it is, it doesn't make much sense, considering Freeman's past history as a pretty darn good runner when needed.

It's just another weapon, something for the defenses to think about.

Did we mention it's very puzzling?

Why isn't LeGarrette Blount getting any carries?

Why isn't LeGarrette Blount getting any carries?

A: He's in Schiano's doghouse.

B: They don't trust him with the ball.

C: He hasn't practiced well.

D: They want him to get healthy.

E: They would rather Doug Martin get the carries.

Total votes: 0

No one in the un-curious Tampa MSMâ"that's mainstream mediaâ"has asked anyone about it, not Schiano, not Sullivan, not Freeman. Right now most of them are recovering from the "Kneel-Gate" hub-bub.

That leaves the rest of us to wonder if Freeman is going to do anything when the field opens in front of him this coming Sunday, or the next Sunday, or the next.

It seems like the only thing scrambling with the Bucs these days are the eggs in the facility cafeteria.

With the lockout in full swing, the threat of missing games in the 2012-13 season is a concern. Thatâs not a good situation for the Tampa Bay Lightning that still have questions in goal. A shortened season could open the door to the Bolts pursuing some goaltenders in a pinch.

Tampaâs offseason has changed the attitude in the community following a disappointing 2011-12 campaign. With additions of high-profile defensemen like Sami Salo and Matt Carle, the leagueâs worst defense in 2011 should be much improved, whenever the NHL resumes play.

In goal, the Bolts brought in backup goaltender Anders Lindback from Nashville. Mathieu Garon looks to be healthy, following a late-season groin injury.

If this duo isnât the answer for the Lightning this season, pursuing these three goaltenders may help the Boltsâespecially if itâs a shortened campaign.

Dwayne Roloson

Could Rolly get the Bolts back to the Eastern Conference finals?Paul Bereswill/Getty Images

Dwayne Roloson scratched his way into the hearts of Lightning fans with his performance in 2010-11. The Tampa version of Martin Brodeur brought the Bolts within one game of the Stanley Cup finals.

The magic from that postseason run brought high hopes last season. But, the magic never came back. Roloson went 13-16-3 with a 3.66 goals-against average.

He platooned in goal with Garon, but eventually conceded the starting role. Garon has a contract with the Lightning for 2012-13. Roloson doesnât. He doesnât have a contract with an NHL team at all.

Despite his struggles last season, Roloson could be a great pick up, or re-signing for the Bolts. If the NHL lockout leads to a shortened season, teamsâ margin for error is slim.

In an 82-game season, teams with unproven goaltenders can afford a few hiccups and growing pains. A shortened season adds a lot of pressure to unproven goaltenders, especially in the unique Lightning system under Guy Boucher.

Thereâs no learning curve for Roloson at 43-years-old. Maybe, he has just one last hurrah in him.

Dominik Hasek

The Dominator knows the NHL and has enough experience to benefit the Lightning.Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Sticking with the aging goaltender and shortened season themes, the Bolts may want to take a run at Dominik Hasek.

The Dominator has played in 735 career NHL games and has apparently been keeping in shape. He hasnât played in the NHL since 2007-08 with the Detroit Red Wings, but Hasek feels as if he is NHL-ready.

At 47-years-old, he may not be ready for an 82-game season. Thatâs great news if the lockout cuts the upcoming season short.

HC Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga plays a 52-game season. They won the league crown in 2010 and 2012. Hasek re-joined the team in 2009.

Hasek is a proven winner and, with all the career games accrued, not much would surprise him. A spot with the Lightning for a year might be a great asset, especially to teach the two young goaltenders in Lindback and Dustin Tokarski.

Antero Niittymaki

He played for the Lightning two years ago with a respectable 21-18-5 record.Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Currently a group 3 free agent, Antero Niittymaki is another veteran goaltender the Bolts could pursue, again. Niittymaki has seven NHL seasons to his name, including a successful season with Tampa in 2009-10.

In 2010, the Finnish goalie went 21-18-5 in 49 games. He even posted a 2.87 goals-against averageâthird lowest in his career.

Tampa finished that year 34-36-12 and missed out on the playoffs. Niittymaki split time with Mike Smith and actually had a much better record than Smith. Yes, Tampa, the same Mike Smith that just led the Phoenix Coyotes to the postseason.

Despite familiarity with the team and the community, the 32-year old hasnât played for Boucher. Boucher was hired following the 2010 season. Niitymaki joined the San Jose Sharks that season.

A career 95-86-31 record is acceptable, especially if the Bolts lose a goaltender to injury, want additional depth or want to save their youngest goaltenders from a premature call-up.

His two-year deal that expired with the Sharks was worth $2 million per season. Tampa has the cap-room currently with nearly $7 million in space. The terms of a new collective bargaining agreement could adjust that, but Niitymaki could be a good insurance pick up for the Bolts.

Dallas is lurking on the horizon for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but before we move on to the "Big-D," a few morning-after thoughts on what transpired up there Sunday at sold-out MetLife Stadium.

First, this age-old thought for your consumption:

You're never as good as your last win or as bad as your last loss.

Surely you haven't forgotten already how the Buccaneer defense thrilled you with victory over the dangerous Cam Newton and his Carolina Panthers in the season opener. Ten yards rushing. Phenomenal.

So don't be so harsh, don't pull a Tom Coughlin, don't get red-in-the-head over this 41-34 loss to the G-Men. Sure the Bucs could have won, but had it not been for the first half defense that limited the Giants to three field goals after three trips into the red zone, this one could have been out of reach at halftime.

Keep in mind what you're watching is a work in progress. It is far from the finished product. Told you before the season started that there are still pieces missing and that this team needs one more good draft and one more offseason teaching symposium.

With that in mind, a quick look back at the heart breaker that left most of you thinking about what might have been.

Where was the defensive line?

This is the first question you should be asking. Instead of jumping all over AqibTalib, this is something you should contemplate. The defensive line was missing in action yesterday afternoon. They didn't do much. Eli Manning got too comfortable back there. Sure, he threw those three first-half interceptions. But that blitz package wasn't going to work all afternoon. You live by the blitz; you die by the blitz.

Ronde Barber beaten by Victory Cruz.Elsa/Getty Images

No sacks, no knockdowns, except for that sneak attack on the game's last play that made Manning take his only tumble of the day. Left Coughlin fuming and cussing at Schiano after the game. Get over it Tom; it's football. Play hard until the game's over.

Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan turned the afternoon into a game of "Survivor" for poor AqibTalib and Hakeem Nicks promptly voted him off the island. Seriously, can we expect any corner in the NFL to go one-on-one with Nicks all afternoon, especially with the likes of Manning throwing to him? Talib got away with a bunch of holds that weren't called either.

This wasn't a great idea, especially in the fourth quarter.

You can only blitz Eli Manning so often.

This is a summer repeat: you live by the blitz; you die by the blitz. They lived for one half, died when it counted at the hands of Manning. He's an elite quarterback and proved it. How many times do you think you can sneak Ronde Barber to the line of scrimmage? They left Mark Barron back there by himself and he didn't have a chance.

Were you shocked that Manning brought his team back?

Were you shocked that Manning brought his team back?

A: No, that's what elite quarterbacks do.

B: Yes, I thought the Bucs would hold on.

Total votes: 175

Why won't Josh Freeman scramble?

We've seen two games and plenty of chances for Josh Freeman to pick up easy yardage with his legs. He used to be a very effective runner. There were plenty of opportunities Sunday but Freeman never ran for a yard. What's up with that?

Does the staff not trust LeGarretteBlount?

If the team was concerned about Blount's neck injury, he shouldn't have dressed. He was cleared to play so where was he? He was planted firmly on the sidelines. Does the staff not trust him; does he not have full grasp of the playbook? Has he not performed in practice? This one is an ongoing mystery. Doug Martin continues to carry the load. What is Blount's role?

Linebackers played quite well.

Mason Foster had a career afternoon with a DOZEN solo tackles. Lavonte David had seven and Quincy Black three. David injured his wrist early in the game but played hurt; this guy's a gamer. Still the downside was that none of them were able to sack Manning and the tackling got sloppy late.

Where was Arrelious Benn?

Do the Buccaneers have a third wide receiver? Evidently not. The only wide receivers who caught balls were Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. Where was Preston Parker? They better find someone to step up of this will hurt them down the road.

Do the Bucs have a third wide receiver?

Do the Bucs have a third wide receiver?

A: They need to find one.

B: No, it doesn't look like it.

Total votes: 123

Dallas Clark was too little too late.

Dallas Clark needs to be a bigger part of the offense. He caught three balls late from Freeman. He had four catches all day. Where was he the other three quarters? Why not target him more often?

Demar Dotson was capable.

Dotson did a nice job filling in for Jeremy Trueblood. Give the offensive line credit; they did a remarkable job against the New York front four.

Will Eric Wright be okay?

Eric Wright's interception return was a thing of beauty. Call it a million-dollar play. Can't remember a run like that. Wright later re-injured his lower back, which is a cause for concern. They need him healthy to win.

Connor Barth is the team's best player.

Truth be known, the best and most reliable player right now is Connor Barth. SOLID point producer and clutch performer.

Get the real officials back on the field.

So many missed calls on both sides. Most memorable was the hit on Vincent Jackson. That could have been a game changer. Get rid of these replacement officials. They pretty much suck.

That should just about cover it.

Yes, this was an incredible opportunity for the Buccaneers. Yes, it got away from them.

The quick start, the turnovers, the comeback, the other comeback, the dagger. All of it amounting to a 41-34 heart-pounding defeat, that if nothing else caught the eye of the the NFL.

At this point, nothing seems more appropriate than a recap, of the good, the bad and the ugly of the Buccaneers' Week 2 match-up.

The Good

While Week 1 showed that Tampa Bay had seemingly found the running game that they had desperately been needing since the days of Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott, Week 2 showed something more.

The maturity of Josh Freemanâ"now in his fourth professional seasonâ"and the acquisitions of Vincent Jackson among others has allowed the Bucs to have all the makings of a formidable passing attack.

Surely they were overshadowed by Eli Manning's 510-yard performance. Even so, the Buccaneers showed the ability to stretch the field in ways, some could say, they haven't since the days of Mark Carrier.

Vincent Jackson is a true No. 1 receiver, but unlike the team's past go-to guys (Michael Clayton, Keyshawn Johnson, Bert Emanuel, Alvin Harper to name a few), he can both make the tough catches over the middle and go after the deep ball.

The Bucs have a true No. 1 in Vincent JacksonElsa/Getty Images

His second-quarter touchdown showed something that should have Bucs fans thrilled for what can happen as this unit gains even more cohesiveness.

There were several times in this game where Freeman showed no hesitation putting the ball up for these two to make a play. The way the NFL's rules are set up these days, having the ability to do this can only improve a team's chances at winning.

The two-minute offense also showed promise for Dallas Clark becoming a reliable target in important situations. He caught three consecutive darts from Freeman which were delivered with laser-like precision.

The emergence of these three, and perhaps Jordan Shipley, (whom the team brought back today), who has shown he can be a productive slot receiver when surrounded by legitimate wide outs in the NFL. Or Arrelious Benn, who returned from injury in Week 2, should give the Bucs a solid passing attack.Â

If Jackson, Williams, and ClarkÂ can continue to improve, it will not only take pressure off of Freeman and the offensive line, but also Doug Martin and the running game.

The one area where improvement needs to happen immediately for the passing game to move to the next level is the screen game. This was terrible on Sunday.

In most cases, the formations and situations telegraphed the plays, having them stopped before they started. Or perhaps it was just the Giants defensive line. Either way, improvement is essential.

Freeman can be elite with the right offense and the right tools around him, and from what the passing game showed Sunday, this is happening in front of our eyes.

The Bad

In 2011, the Buccaneers had the worst defense in the NFL.

In the fourth quarter of the Week 2 contest, the Buccaneers had the worst defense in the NFL.

No matter how good or how "clutch" Manning is, the Buccaneers had him against a wall at halftime.Â After getting a mixture of solid pressure and bonehead decisions, Tampa had forced Manning into three first half interceptions.

Ahmad Bradshaw, DomenikHixon, and David Diehl were all out of the game. AqibTalib had been able to provide almost flawless coverage on nearly every pass thrown in Hakeem Nicks' direction. Victor Cruz didn't get to do the salsa, due to Eric Wright proving why Tampa coveted him in the offseason.

Then everything went down the proverbial toilet.

After the offense opened the half with a field goal drive which extended the lead to 14, the defense forced New York into a four-play drive which led to a punt.

On the first play of the defense's next drive, Wright went down with an injury and the defensive walls began to crumble. The Giants went 63 yards and added three points with a Lawrence Tynes field goal.Â

Eli Manning had full control over the game when it mattered mostJim O'Connor-US PRESSWIRE

After a Freeman interception just two plays later, the Bucs defense was able to hold New York to a fourth Tynes field goal despite good field position, holding the lead at eight.Â

After that, the unit surrendered 225 yards and three touchdowns on the next three drives.

Taking all of 11 plays. 11.

As said before, the Bucs once again became the worst defense in the NFL, if even for just a quarter.

In one quarter, Ronde Barber showed exactly why he moved to safety and Brandon McDonald showed that he is not an NFL cornerback. In addition, the defensive line showed exactly how easily they can disappear, and that they have no depth. And AqibTalib showed that a hobbled Nicks had more left on one good leg than he did on two.

The display put on by the defense can only be explained by fatigue and a lack of depth. But isn't this something we all saw coming? Couldn't they have found someone to fill in as a backup defensive lineman? Wasn't Myron Lewis a third-round pick with tons of potential? Where is the depth?

The troubles of the past also began to rear their ugly head as a little known "big back" Andre Brown ran roughshod over the tired and smallish Buccaneers defense.

The most telling statistic of just how bad this game was for the defense: 51 drop-backs for Manning, two quarterback hits, zero sacks.

Archie Manning could have thrown for 510 yards against that kind of pressure. Â

The Ugly

Victor Cruz is fast, but Ronde Barber has lost a stepElsa/Getty Images

The real ugly here was the referees. It has not gotten as much publicity as other games on more publicized stages, but these guys are really affecting games. Besides several questionable penalties going in both directions and a lot of inconsistency in those calls, one play stands out.

As the Buccaneers tried to mount their final comeback, Freeman "completed" a 29-yard pass down the left sideline to the Giants 16-yard line with seconds left. That play was then reviewed by the officials and subsequently overturned.

It appeared that Williams was able to tap both feet in bounds and then rolled out of bounds and lost the ball. No matter what, there was not enough evidence to overturn the call on the field of a completion.

Properly trained referees almost surely would have let the play stand.

Whatever the case may be, the Buccaneers still had several opportunities to win this game and simply did not capitalize.Â Â Â

The secondary should receive the bulk of the blame for the 41-34 loss at Met Life Stadium.Â

Compared to the secondary, the play-calling was excellent.Â

In reality, the play-calling was subpar.

But nothing could possible be worse than the secondary, mainly the cornerbacks.

After extensive game review, I tallied the amount of times each Buccaneer blew a coverage that led to an avoidable completion and the yardage lost from the slip-up.

The results were not pretty.

By my count, AqibTalib gave up five easy passes of five, 40, 23, 11 and 50 yards, respectively, including one touchdown. Mind you, these were not all during the "all-out blitz" phase of the game in the fourth quarter, which left the cornerbacks on an island. No, several of these were routine coverages that Talib just blew.

Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

Brandon McDonald should also be the targets of fans' ire. He gave up four receptions for 87 yards, and while AqibTalib (sort of) made up for his mistakes with three great defended passes, McDonald didn't knock away a single throw. His lone interception came on an uncharacteristic mistake by Eli ManningÂ Â

In total, 286 of Eli's 510 passing yards could and should have been avoided if certain Bucs had actually played at the level they are paidÂ to play at.Â

Take all the shots you want at the defensive line that pressured Manning on barely a fifth of his 50-plus drop backs (12 pressures by my count), but the Giants QB was able to get the ball off relatively quickly because his receivers were getting open with constant ease.

Unless the coaches do something about this secondary, 2012 will be another long year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The backup offensive lineman who started at right tackle for injured Jeremy Trueblood was listed Tuesday as the starting right tackle on this week's depth chart. Coach Greg Schiano has said that permanent changes in the lineup would be reflected there, meaning the move is not related to Trueblood's ankle injury but instead is based on performance.

Dotson had previously started just two games in his career as a blocking tight end, but his showing in the preseason â" when he filled in for injured LT Donald Penn â" and his improvement in practices showed coaches he was capable of playing more.

Sunday, against the Giants' feared pass rush, Dotson was solid, his main flaw being the lone false start he committed. Otherwise, he was sound in his pass protection against some of the league's best pass rushers â" Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck among them.

"Those guys are real, real good," Dotson said afterward. "â¦ It's tough. With the noise, it was hard to hear. But we kept our poise. I had my false start. I have to work on that. I had Pierre-Paul, Tuck. Man, those guys are good. Hands down the best defensive line in the NFL. What a coming-out party."

Dotson has come a long way in his fourth season. He played just one year of football â" as a defensive lineman â" at Southern Miss and was brought in as an undrafted free agent project. Now, the former basketball player has a chance to further establish himself.

Meanwhile, Trueblood has lost his starting job for the second time in three seasons after being benched for James Lee in 2010. And after the Bucs forcefully asked him to renegotiate his contract before the season, taking back roughly $1 million, it's reasonable to suggest Trueblood could be enjoying his last season with the Bucs.

After spending two weeks with the team in the preseason, Shipley was released at final roster cuts. But the Bucs liked him as a slot option, and with Parker being the No. 1 slot receiver, the Bucs opted for Shipley to create depth there.

Shipley likely won't have to step in immediately and contribute. Sammie Stroughter remains on the roster and filled in for Parker after he left the game.

To make room on the roster, the Bucs released OL Derek Hardman. He had returned to the roster just last week after being released a week before that.

As for why Tiquan Underwood, another intriguing player from the preseason, wasn't an option, it's likely because he is not considered an ideal option in the slot.